With the advent over recent years of specialized packaging for products, where the packaging is designed to accommodate the particular product, the dispensing of such product, or the cooking of such product if the product is a foodstuff, it has become increasingly difficult to manufacture such specialized packages. Moreover, to include product specific features to the packaging, so as to enhance cooking or product dispensing, from a continuous web of material is even harder.
It is, of course, a manufacturing concern to produce individual product packages in a most economical manner. The conversion of a continuous web of material into such individual packages without the need for additional components is highly desirable toward that goal. However, it is also desirable to provide such individual packages with specialized features related to the specific product for dispensing or cooking which are not only effective, but which users of such packages also find convenient.
Many forming processes and apparatuses are known for converting a web of flexible material into individual packages or pouches, which may be made in line with filling and final sealing stations. Such typical machines are generally classified as either horizontal type or vertical type forming machines. Moreover, such machines may employ means for continuously moving the web material through conversion stations of the machine, or may intermittently move the web material while controlling the conversion operations to occur during rest periods between movements.
An example of a horizontal forming machine with intermittent movement that is used to manufacture relatively complex individual food containers from a continuous web of material is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,235 to Gautier. Such process initially includes folding the continuous web of material into two side walls with a bottom gusset extending therebetween in a generally W shape. Thereafter, various heat sealing and cutting operations are sequentially performed between intermittent movements of the web to produce specialized two compartment packages. The conversion steps, however, are performed from both sides of the folded web so that such operations must be equally performed on both of the side walls and the bottom gusset.
Other individual specialized packages which are formed from a continuous web of flexible material are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,774,797 to Colamussi et al, 4,453,370 to Titchenal, and 4,631,901 to Chung et al. The bags of Colamussi et al and Titchenal include the formation of a bottom gusset which extends between side walls during the individual bag manufacture. Such gussets are utilized to provide an expanded or square end of the bags when they are filled, as conventionally known. Chung et al discloses a complex heat sealing sequence for making individual sealed packets containing pre-determined amounts of flowable product. Like Gautier above, converting or forming operations are equally conducted on both sides of the bags of Colamussi et al, Titchenal and Chung et al.
Yet another manufacturing technique for making individual bags from a continuous web of flexible material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,007 to Ellison. The bags of Ellison require two folding operations providing a bottom gusset with ends thereof doubled back against the side walls followed by a heat sealing step at the bottom edges to render the bag free standing. Once again, each forming step is applied to both sides of each bag.
Clearly, as highly specialized packages are designed to incorporate additional features which are more effective and more convenient to the end user, it is desirable to not only manufacture such packages efficiently, that is from a continuous web of material, but also to do so at production speeds that are standard in the industry today and with as simple machine as possible. However, the more specialized the features that are to be incorporated into such package designs, the greater is the complexity of the forming machines, which generally results in slower production.
One important feature that is desirable in many specialized packages is an easy open feature which allows access to the contents of the package. Another is a dispensing spout or the like which makes it easy to controllably discharge the products from within the packages. The provision of tear strips, lines of weakening, and the like, per se, are well known. However, incorporating an easy opening feature within a specialized package, such as a bag or pouch, and in accordance with the manufacturing goals set forth above, is much more difficult. Such is compounded when a bag or pouch is further specifically designed to accommodate a particular product or to enhance cooking of the product if it is a foodstuff.
Ikeda et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,979 discloses a laminated bag formed with a spout with means to facilitate opening of the bag. The bag is designed for containing a fluid therein and to make the bag free standing.
Another type of specialized packaging includes bags which are specifically designed to enhance microwave cooking. One example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,439 to Smart et al, wherein a lay-flat bag is provided including a top center access. Other microwave packages are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,810,844, 4,937,410 and 4,950,859 to Anderson, which comprise flat bottom portions with substantially central upwardly extending walls which provide access to the bags interiors. The '410 bag provides access through the upright side seam of the walls, while the others provide access through the top edge. Such access simply permits the filling of the bags with product and the subsequent removal of the product. None of these, however, facilitate any kind of controlled dispensing of product from the bags. They only provide simple access to the contents once cooked.
Yet another microwave type bag is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,466 to Stevenson and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,904,093 and 5,030,190 to Woods et al. In each of these cases, the bag is formed of two wing-shaped pouches on either side of an upright spout. The spout is an access opening including a reclosable zipper to provide for the simple filling or removing of product to or from the bag in a similar manner as that discussed above in the Anderson references. The spout is not designed to facilitate any kind of controlled dispensing. The suggested process of making Stevenson's bag includes gusseting the bottom of the bag and heat sealing the appropriate side edges, wherein the open non-gussetted section thereof forms the central neck portion which provides the spout.